Chase The Dream Not The Fried Chicken

As some of you may know I am an independent artist manager by day and hectic schedules are part of everyday fun for me. Lots of late nights and early mornings can mean a quick grab inbetween sound checks and performances, however as the day turns into night the options become limting and fast food chains become temptation. Now I don't claim to be the healthiest person on the planet but I do avoid takeaways (unless its after a few bevvys on a night out with friends and nothing can source my soberness but the grease of a cardboard box).

When faced with overworked, sleepless nights the last thing you think about is your 5 a-day; it is this attitude I started to notice in a lot of musicans/artists within the industry. Don't worry I'm not going to lecture you on diets or a miracle answer that will help you avoid craving chicken and chips with a burger on the side. This post is simply to help you while you are on the go and a little planning ahead could mean a healthier option, after all if you feel sluggish and lethargic it will show on stage as I noticed a change with my artist when he changed a few bad eating habits.

As a fan of chicken this recipe isn't something new but I love the combination of fruit and chilli and with so much going on with a wrap this is perfect cold on the move or warm at home with some sweet potato wedges are my personal fav.

CHICKEN, MANGO AND CHILLI WRAPS

Ingredients:

·         Skinless Chicken (breast or thigh)

·         Mango (peeled and cubed)

·         Chili flakes or fresh sliced thinly

·         Cucumber (cubed)

·         Baby Spinach Leaves

·         Avocado (cubed)

·         Tortilla Wraps or Pitta Bread

·         Coriander (chopped)

·         Lime (zest and juice)

·         Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 tablespoon)

·         Seasoning (salt and pepper)

Method:

Wash chicken and pat dry. Place chicken in an ovenproof dish add the zest and juice of half the lime, olive oil, and seasoning. Roast in the oven for 20-25 mins at gas mark 180c or gas mark 7 until cooked through.

In a separate bowl add the cubed mango, cucumber, avocado, chilli and coriander, then squeeze the other half of the lime juice and season.

Once the chicken is cooked shred into bite size pieces. Warm the tortilla wraps then add a handful of spinach leaves, some shredded chicken and the mango and chilli mix. Roll and enjoy

N.B. 1 breast of chicken will fill 2 wraps so cook as much chicken as you need

From Inspiration to the Kitchen

After my inspiration from this week's food and music find I got stuck into the kitchen to concoct a Chocolate Ganache and Salted Caramel Torte.

This bittersweet combination is perfect for sharing with its super rich texture I found a little piece goes a long way. As this was my first attempt I will admit I think I added a little too much salt but hey ho its all an experiment and next time it will be even better :)

Chocolate and a Loop Peddle

This week I visited Borough Market in London and found what can only be described as THE BEST CHOCOLATE IN THE WORLD! This mouthful of joy was from the good people at http://artisanduchocolat.com/ and I sampled the Sea Salt Caramel Balls. This may seem an unusual combination to some but the salt tingle then the burst of caramel just oozes pleasure and kept me smiling for the rest of the day.

From the music world I was introduced to a fella named Jarle Bernhoft, his single "C'mon Talk" shows how this talented Norwegian musician is a one man band and has recieved quite a few YouTube hits and even got an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres Show last year. Now I may have been late in finding Bernhoft but I have become a huge fan and will be seeing him live in London in October which I am uber excited about!

Here is the video for your listening pleasure and as for me these two finds this week have inspired a recipe...watch this space for the outcome...

Introduction

Hi and Welcome to my Blog

I am a music and food enthusiast who is always looking for new ideas to inspire me. I have worked within many areas of media, from film, music, radio and even a stint of stand-up comedy.

Currently working in music means I am always going to gigs and nothing gives me more of a buzz than finding new talent. When I am not working (which is rare) I love to entertain my family and friends by cooking for them. Motivated by cooking shows and jumping on the street food craze band waggon I am always creating new recipes.

With these two worlds taking up most of my life this sparked a thought in my head; "if music and food can influence our mood can the two work together?" It is this thought I would like to experiement on this blog. So if you're a music and a food fan like me hopefully we share some ideas and get creative.